A Mother's Strength

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has to be one of the bravest people in history. While we don't know a lot about her life, I think she would be familiar with the scriptures concerning the Messiah. She had to have some inkling of the sacrifice to come. I wonder if God shielded her mind out of love for her, knowing that the full weight of it would have been too much to bear. Knowing that her child, our Savior but her child, would be sacrificed.

That led me to thinking about all of us as moms. None of us know what we will be asked to sacrifice through our children. If, along with the birth certificate, we were given a time line, sealed in an envelope, of what our child would experience, would we open it? I don't think I would. Scripture says that God will provide me with just enough strength for the day, and not to worry what tomorrow will bring.

Yesterday He gave me strength for the day. Through a turn of events that only a three year old could devise, I was almost asked to give up Justin. Somehow he scaled to the top of his California-style closets, and using a belt and a caribbeaner (mountain-climbing clip), almost hung himself in an effort to be Superman. His belt got tangled, and gratefully, he only suffered a deep "rope burn" around his neck. As he tells it, he was trying to fly but it didn't work because he didn't have a cape.

A friend reminded me not to let this incident give Satan a foothold. I wonder if Mary struggled with that, not letting her fears carry her away, or feeling guilty for not protecting her son well enough. She reminded me God is the One in control. If yesterday was Justin's day to go Home, he would have. And God would have still been God, and Jesus would still be my Savior. While I can't imagine the heartbreak of those called to bury their children, today I will celebrate that I was only asked to be scared. I celebrate that God gives me to get through each day with Him.

And, while I recognize the Sovereignty of God, we no longer have the California shelving in the boys' closet. Seriously, people, this mom can only take so much.